It was a warm sunny afternoon and the two girls had gone down to the beach. They'd found a nice spot, put up their umbrella and got down to the serious business of getting a nice tan. They stretched out on their towels, just basking in the warmth. If it got too hot they could always sit in the shade of the umbrella.
They'd been there about an hour when Brad came wandering past. He happened to glance idly in their direction as he passed and kept on going. Then he stopped, curious. Turning he retraced his steps.
After a couple of steps he could see the two young ladies basking in the sun. Another couple of steps and they were out of sight. Interesting, he decided. He turned and ambled over to where the girls were lying.
"We're married," was how Karen greeted him.
"Really? Congratulations. You know, I've never met people in a same sex marriage before."
"What? Not to each other, you fool. I have a husband."
"Oh, my mistake. Ah, did you mean one husband for the two of you or one each?"
Susan laughed. "One husband each. It is the normal way of things."
"Not really. I don't have a husband. A wife, yes, but no husband."
"Then why aren't you with her?" asked Karen.
"Probably for the same reason that you're not with your respective husbands. She's working, leaving me with a rare afternoon to myself, an afternoon that I'm enjoying by relaxing at the beach."
"Well, don't let us stop you."
"I won't. I was just admiring your little hidey hole. Standing in the middle of it you're in public and can see everyone around you. Lying down like that you just vanish from the public eye, hidden by the contours of the land. Anyone passing by will just naturally walk along the sand and from there you're only visible from a narrow aspect. I noticed when I walked past that you're visible for only three or four steps."
"So that's why you walked back and forth in front of us. Seeing how hidden we were."
"Either that or he was trying to impress us with his physique?"
Brad grinned and settled down on the shade of the umbrella.
"I'm Brad," he said. "And you are?"
"I'm Susan. She's Karen," Susan said, seeing no reason not to be polite.
"Karen? A genuine internet Karen?"
"Not really. I don't think you've ever demanded to see a manager in your life, have you?"
"Not that I can think of. Of course, if the beach has a manager I'd be tempted to demand his presence right now."
"Are you having a shot at me? Poor harmless little me? Shameful, that's what it is. How's your tan going. You have to be careful not to burn."
"Our tans are going just fine," said Susan. "Thanks for asking."
"If you'll excuse me for a second I'll just do a quick check."
Brad reached over and brushed one small triangle away from Karen's breast, exposing the whiteness hidden there. Also exposing the bit of pink in the centre.
Karen gasped and hastily moved the triangle back into position, ignoring Susan's giggle.
"Don't do that. Why pick on me, anyway? Why not Susan?"
"Why not." Brad turned to Susan who hastily moved her hands to protect her bikini. Brad simply changed where he was grabbing and had her bikini bottom coming down before Susan could change what she was protecting.
Pulling the scrap of cloth right off he tossed it under the umbrella.
"If you care to move your hands, Susan, you can get a proper comparison between tan and no tan," said Brad breezily.
"Stop giggling," Susan snapped at Karen. "This is serious. Give that back to me."
"Oh relax. What's it matter if you lost your bikini bottom? Who's going to notice?"
"You for a start and anyone who wanders past."
"Me, of course, but I don't mind. As for anyone who wanders past if they happened to look this way they'd just see a couple of girls sunbathing, one of whom has a white bikini."
"He's right you know," said Karen. "Anyone who looked at us from the beach wouldn't know that you were half naked. They'd just think you had a mismatched bikini."
"If you took your top off you could really relax as it would no longer be mismatched," Brad pointed out.
"He's got a point," goaded Karen. "Go on. I dare you."
"Ha! Would you?"
"Of course," came the carefree taunt, knowing she wasn't being asked to sacrifice her modesty. Then came a startled yelp as Brad decided to help put her in the same position and a moment or two later two blushing girls were cupping their groins, looking daggers at Brad.
"What the fuck do you think you're playing at?" demanded an indignant Karen.
"I was just putting you in a position where you have to make good on your statement that you'd take off your top if you were in the same position as Susan," said Brad, smiling. "We're waiting."
"Yeah, Karen. We're waiting," said Susan with a giggle.
